Industrial Hygienist

US-Department-of-Labor; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, Saint Louis Area Office in Saint Louis, MO is seeking an Industrial Hygienist at the GS-11/12 level. The role requires meeting a basic education requirement and specialized experience in evaluating workplace hazards and implementing controls.

Qualifications include a qualifying degree in industrial hygiene or related fields, plus relevant experience. This federal position reports to the Saint Louis office in a bargaining unit.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or graduate degree in industrial hygiene or related fields.
• Engineering/Physical/Life science degree with required chemistry coursework.
• Certification from ABIH (formerly ABIH).
• Evaluation of courses must count toward a standard 4-year curriculum.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning and conducting evaluations of workplace operations with hazardous conditions.
• Conduct formal interviews to identify unhealthful conditions or causes of injuries.
• Develop occupational safety/health investigation or inspection reports.
• Calculate penalties based on gravity, severity, and probability of harm.
• Conduct workplace analyses and review safety/health programs of employers.
• Write occupational safety/health reports and testify with counsel when needed.

Skills

Evaluation planning

Interviews

Investigation reports

Penalties calculation

Education

Bachelor's/Graduate degree in industrial hygiene or related field

Engineering/Physical/Life science degree with chemistry coursework

ABIH certification

Ph.D. or 3+ years grad education in relevant field

Job description

This position is with the U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This position is in the Kansas City Region's, Saint Louis Area Office located in Saint Louis, MO.

• The full performance level of this position is the GS-12 grade level.
• Position is in the bargaining unit.
• A writing sample may be included as a part of the interview process.
• Selectee will be expected to report to the office.

THIS POSITION HAS A BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. ALL APPLICANTS MUST MEET THIS REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED.

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• A bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in industrial hygiene, occupational health sciences, occupational and environmental health, toxicology, safety sciences, or related science; or
• A bachelor's degree in a branch of engineering, physical science, or life science that included 12 semester hours in chemistry, including organic chemistry, and 18 additional semester hours of courses in any combination of chemistry, physics, engineering, health physics, environmental health, biostatistics, biology, physiology, toxicology, epidemiology, or industrial hygiene; or
• Certification from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly American Board of Industrial Hygiene(external link) (ABIH)).

Courses in the history or teaching of chemistry are not acceptable.

Evaluation of Education: All science or engineering courses offered in fulfillment of the above requirements must be acceptable for credit toward the completion of a standard 4-year professional curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in science or engineering at an accredited college or university.
Evaluation of Experience: Qualifying experience involves the recognition, evaluation, corrective actions, and elimination of environmental conditions in the workplace that causes sickness, impaired health, or illness. This experience must demonstrate a professional knowledge of the theory and application of the principles of industrial hygiene and closely related sciences such as physics and engineering controls.

Such work must have involved experience in all of the following areas: the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, and the measurement of exposures for a variety of chemical, physical, and biological stresses; the analysis of the data acquired and the prediction of probable effects of exposures on the health and well-being of workers; and the selection and recommendation of appropriate controls, including management, medical, engineering, education or training, and personal protective equipment.

You must meet the "Individual Occupational Requirements" listed above and the "Specialized Experience" to qualify for Industrial Hygienist, as described below.
At the GS-11 level:
In addition to meeting the individual occupational requirement, Applicants must have at least 52 weeks experience at the next lower level in the normal career progression of the position being filled. When compared to Federal experience, this experience must be equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-09. This experience may have been gained either in the Federal or Private sectors. Resumes should reflect the majority but is not limited to the following specialized experience listed below:

• Assisting in the planning and conducting of evaluations of workplace operations involving potentially hazardous environmental conditions
• Conducting formal interviews to identify unhealthful working conditions or causes of injuries/illnesses/fatalities
• Developing occupational safety or occupational health investigation or inspection reports
• Calculating penalties to be assessed based on the (a) gravity of occupational safety or occupational health violations and (b) the severity of possible injury or illness and the probability that such could occur

OR
Education: Completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)
OR
Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

At the GS-12 level: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, Applicants must have at least 52 weeks experience at the next lower level in the normal career progression of the position being filled. When compared to Federal experience, this experience must be equivalent to at least the next lower grade level of GS-11. This experience may have been gained either in the Federal or Private sectors. Resume should reflect but is not limited to the following specialized experience listed below:

• Investigating occupational health complaints
• Conducting file and/or record reviews, to include case files of previous occupational health investigations and inspections
• Conducting occupational health investigations and/or occupational health inspections
• Conducting workplace analyses and reviewing the occupational safety and health programs of employers and businesses
• Writing occupational safety and/or occupational health reports
• Testifying during and/or working with counsel in the development of litigation pursuant to occupational safety and/or occupational health cases.

Education is not a substitution for experience at the GS-12 level.

GS-11: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-09 in the Federal Service.
GS-12: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, GS-11 in the Federal Service.